A couple weeks ago Michael Brown sought to defend his and other evangelicals’ vote for Donald Trump. A fair attempt it was, but ignored a fundamental Christian principle: light has no accord with darkness. That is the basic biblical ethics of unqualified absolutism, which guides Christian actions to what is right and wrong. Simply put, God’s moral laws are absolute, never conflict, and should never be broken, regardless of the end goal. Should any be broken, there is the inevitable consequence to face.

Choosing the lesser evil is still choosing evil. That is a direct contravention of God’s moral law.

In his near mea culpa then, Dr Brown explained that his and others’ vote was not an endorsement of Trump, per se, but a rejection of Clinton. He also explained that the bargain they entered into was weighted to which candidate would be more supportive of evangelical causes. But in God’s economy, the end never justifies the means it those means deviate from biblical moral standards.

It was spiritually naïve to think that Trump who broadcasted his debased morality and character for God and all to see, would be any different once he ascended the presidency, simply because a few politically motivated evangelicals vouched for his “conversion.” And it was socially naïve to think that he will effect any meaningful change for evangelical causes simply because he said he was a changed man. He was merely throwing the “dog a bone,” and his token gifts to evangelicals are, let’s face it, the real “nothing burgers.”

Again, in his latest attempt Dr Brown continues the omission, and now fails to understand that what happened in Charlottesville is a direct consequence of their vote. Trump evangelicals boasted that their vote put him in the White House, and the evidence is that it is true.

In his latest piece Dr Brown says: “If you listen to some secular media, you'd get the impression that Donald Trump is responsible for Charlottesville and that those who voted for him are culpable as well. You'd also get the impression that unless you denounce Trump, you are guilty of racism and are likely a white supremacist. And since Trump has support from many evangelical Christian leaders, you'd be led to believe that they are part of the alt-right, all of them racists and hyper-nationalists.”

Dr Brown et al could not have been ignorant of the association of the alt right and other hate groups that welcomed Trump’s message during the campaign. They could not have missed the presence of these groups at his campaign rallies. They could have missed Trump’s reluctance to denounce David Duke and his ilk. And they certainly were not ignorant of Trump’s bigoted history. They knew all that before casting their vote. Not just the evangelical Christian leaders, but about 80% of white evangelicals.

The Southern Baptist Convention struggled to denounce the alt right and white supremacy groups at their last gathering, which speaks of the prevailing favorable sentiments for those groups among many evangelicals.

Elections have consequences. You votes have consequences because it speaks of your values. So, yes, Dr Brown, you are culpable.